MEDIA ADVISORY

St. Vincentís Welcomes New Year With Holiday Meal

   St. Vincent de Paul Village will serve its annual non-resident New Year's Day meal on Saturday, January 1, at 11 a.m., at its 1501 Imperial Avenue location.

As many as 3,500 meals will be served to residents and non-residents on that first day of the new year, a tally that will grow to more than one million by the end of 2005.

ìNew Yearís Day marks a new beginning for our clients and the organization," says Village President, Father Joe Carroll. "Our meal service allows us to reach a large number of our less fortunate neighbors and, for many, those meals are an introduction to the other services we offer."

The first meal of 2004 will include turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy and pie. The New Yearís Day menu is not unlike offerings the other 364 days of the year, says Father Joe.

ìRestoring our clients dignity and respect begins with a good meal," Father Joe says. "That simple show of respect ñ serving them a quality, home-cooked meal instead of slop – begins a change of attitude in our clients where they begin to recognize they have an opportunity to recapture the dignity and respect lost to life on the streets."

For media inquiries, please call (619) 446-2109.

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